Centurion Redux

     Shortly after posting my entry about Centurion (see below) I received an email from chef/owner Eric Osburn stating that the had, indeed, not been in the restaurant during our lunch because someone had set fire to their fence, and he was taking care of that. We had noticed the damage on our way in. He asked that we give Centurion another try.

Since, as I said in my review, there were many intriguing things about the place, we decided to do that.

     The patio had been repaired, and even improved on, with the addition of canvas “sails” overhead to block the sun. It was 2PM, there were few customers, and we were able to have a good conversation with Eric. He’s a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and is passionate about food. With Centurion, he wants to overturn many of the problems he’s noticed in other restaurants. He aims to be high-end, but with reasonable prices and no pretension. His kitchen is right in back of the windows looking out on Roosevelt, so the cooks don’t feel shut in. And like many chefs now, he tries to use local and sustainable products, making for a seasonal menu.

He even told me a great way to cook butternut squash - using a cider reduction and vanilla.

     The truly notable changes in our meal were with the stuffed mushrooms and the sauce that came with the mussels. Instead of being ugly lumps, the mushrooms were a work of art. They had been split, stuffed with rice, and wrapped in proscuitto. Looking like exotic oysters, they were so pretty I hated to cut into them. But I was glad I did, because this time they were perfectly cooked and delicious. The mustard sauce on the mussels was well balanced, with the flavors of mustard and white wine playing off each other. We kept soaking it up with the accompanying tasty house-made bread. I have to say I still wasn’t crazy about the eggplant panini, but it was more thoroughly cooked than the last time. I guess it’s just a matter of taste.

     Because it was Eric who served us, things went well. I’m willing to accept the fact that the staff had been upset about the fire and not functioning as well as they ordinarily would. We’ll be going back to try the dinner entrees, so I guess we’ll find out.

Centurion

214 W. Roosevelt    Phoenix

602-687-8796

     

Pride and Caring

     Judging by the twenty minute wait to be seated for lunch at 1 PM on a Friday afternoon, Flancer’s Cafe in Gilbert (there’s one in Mesa, too), doesn’t need any publicity from me. There’s also more than 50 mostly four and five star reviews on Yelp. And  the Arizona Republic gave it a glowing review in September. After our lunch, I can tell you that Ken and I heartily agree with all the praise.

     Flancer’s is a small, unpretentious place. The menu is basically bar food - wings, salads, sandwiches, pizza, and some pasta. What made it worth our 30 minute drive is the care and thought that goes into the preparation. Jeff Flancer, the owner, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. When he gives you a steak sandwich, its a 

filet mignon sandwich ($10.75), tender and cooked to order - and served on a freshly baked homemade roll. With caramelized onions and house made chipotle mayo that has the perfect amount of kick. Oh, and gorgonzola cheese, too. Accompanied with an interesting choice of sides, like jalapeno & cheddar mashed potato pie or sweet potato fries. Ken says that Jeff knows what people like to eat, then he thinks of a way to improve on it. Like the onion soup ($3/5) that has a ton of cheese on top, not the thin slice that lots of places try to get away with these days. The pastrami in Ken’s “Cure Heaven” sandwich (every item on the menu has a name) was very flavorful, served hot with provolone and mustard ($8). Portions are large, but not overwhelming. The only disappointment was the pickle - not bad, but not up to the level of the rest of the meal.

     For nine years, Jeff had a restaurant in Santa Fe. There are a number of dishes using a variety of chilis, like the Santa Fe BLT ($8) that comes with New Mexican green chili mayonnaise. Or the Baked Chipotle Fettuccini (Jeff’s spelling) ($11): “Baked fettuccini with sausage, pepperoni & ground beef with chipotle cream marinara sauce & melted mozzarella cheese”. An appetizer I have to try is Flancer’s Green Chile Mushroom Phyllos ($7.50).

     Something that shines through at Flancer’s is pride in the staff (our waiter was excellent), and caring for the community. On the website there are pictures and bios of many of the staff members. If you order a particular dessert, proceeds are donated to a youngster from the community who needs a heart transplant. There are raffles and a yearly pizza eating contest with proceeds also going to charity. The vibe here is really good. 

     Flancer’s is open daily from 10:30 to 9 PM, with Happy Hour from 3 - 7 (they serve a Prickly Pear Lemonade spiked with vodka that sounds really good). There’s free wi-fi, and on some nights there’s music. Check out the menu on their website.

Flancer’s

in Gilbert at 610 N. Gilbert Rd      480-926-9077

in Mesa  at 1902 N. Gigley Rd.    480-396-0077

flancers.com

When Reach Exceeds Grasp

     An intriguing concept: Food from areas that the Roman centurions conquered. Places like Achaea (Greece), Hispania (Spain), Gaul (France), Judea (the Middle East), and Britannia (England).

     An intriguing menu:  Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Spinach Strudel ($10); Bricked Fired Poached Tilapia with Sage Butter, served with Coconut and Shrimp Risotto ($23);

Gnocchi in Shitake Dijon Cream Sauce ($13).

     An intriguing venue: A tiny place with old world decor - red walls, chandeliers, lots of empty wine bottles on the ledge behind the banquette, and a cute little patio with an amusing statue of a centurion outside the wrought iron fence.

     So what more could you ask? Regrettably, lots...

     We were four, for lunch. Ken and I arrived first and ordered an appetizer of Stuffed Mushrooms wrapped in Prosciutto ($8). It did not arrive until well after our friends, Leon and Sena came in. They wanted to try the Strudel, but were told it wasn’t available. Our mushrooms were three of the ugliest lumpy things I’ve seen in a long time. They had been cooked in the pizza oven which pretty much incinerated the ham and dried out the mushrooms However, with enough of the accompanying Aged Cheddar Tarragon Sauce spooned over them, they were fairly tasty. Sena got a panini of eggplant in tomato sauce. The eggplant was almost raw, so it was chewy and bitter. Ken ordered Mussels in a Mustard Sauce ($10) served with Endless Bread. The jar of mustard had never found the sauce. Leon asked for a hamburger with ketchup. He was told that no ketchup was served in the restaurant because it would interfere with the bold flavors of the food. I would applaud this as a policy had there been any bold flavors. Ken quipped that most of the food seemed to have its roots in Britannia. My Espana Pizza ($14) had a nice amount of manchengo and mozzarella cheeses, but was pretty low on the chorizo topping.The crust was something of a disaster - burnt on the edges and flabby in the center.

     Service was poor.. With only two other customers in the restaurant, there was no excuse for ice tea glasses that were not refilled until we pointed it out, dishes that were not cleared from the table to make way for new ones, a long wait for Ken’s entree to be served after the other three had arrived, and the lack of a bowl to put his mussel shells in. The restaurant also had a general air of sloppiness about it. I don’t believe that chef/owner Eric Osburn was in the house while we were there, at least I hope he wasn’t. But he needs to be more aware of what’s going on when he isn’t present.

     Hopefully Centurion will make the effort to live up to its concept, menu and venue. I’d like to be intrigued.

Centurion

214 W. Roosevelt St.  Phoenix    (there’s a free parking garage behind the building)

602-687-8796

Lunch Tues. - Sat. 11 - 3, Sunday 11-4

Dinner Weds. 6 - 9, Thurs. - Sat.  6 - 11

The Good Burp

     Forgive me for being gross, but I have to tell you my favorite way to judge a Jewish-style deli. It’s by how much you enjoy the post-meal burps. And the new JJ’s Delicatessen at Pinnacle Peak and Scottsdale Road rates high on the burp-o-meter!! It’s been open since July in the spot once occupied by Kashman’s. In my opinion, JJ’s is much better. The service is lovely (a big change), the menu extensive, and the food delicious.

     I ordered the signature sandwich, a “Pnish” ($8.95). It’s a “square potato knish sliced in half and filled with your favorite meat, cheese and dressing, then grilled panini style”. I chose corned beef, swiss cheese, and Russian dressing. For my included-in-the-price side, I got cole slaw. In general I’m not a great fan of knishes, but this one did make a great (and unusual) sandwich. The corned beef was a tad dry, but with Russian dressing and cole slaw, who’d notice? The cole slaw was fabulous; I appreciated its sweetness, and Ken its sourness. We both loved the freshness. All the salads are made daily. As are the breads and bagels. Ken had a cinnamon raisin bagel, which I, of course, tried. It was more dense than most Arizona bagels, and chewy, so it reminded me somewhat of New York bagels. Ken’s fruit platter was quite large, and the fruit was ripe and tasty.

     All the pastry looked delicious. We took home a chocolate horn and an apricot hamantaschan. Both were shockingly good. The hamantaschan dough was melt-in-your-mouth rich, and the tart filling was a pleasant contrast. The texture of the chocolate horn was perfect, it shattered when I bit into it, yet it wasn’t dry. The chocolate had a good flavor. By the way, iced coffee goes perfectly with chocolate horns, and JJ’s makes theirs using a cold drip method. I had ice tea with my sandwich, and it was excellent.

     We’re planning to try breakfast at JJ’s. There’s a huge variety of options including a L.E.O.($9.95), matzo brie ($8.95), and a whitefish salad platter ($10.95). Latkes and blintzes are both available at $10.95. Not cheap, but I bet there’d be enough to share. Coffee comes in many forms: cappucino, latte, macchiato, etc. And more pastry.

     As we were getting ready to leave I experienced my first JJ’s burp. I got into the car with a big smile on my face.

JJ’s Delicatessen at Pinnacle

23425 N. Scottsdale Rd.    Scottsdale     480-563-4557

jjsdeliaz.com

open 7 days, 6AM - 3PM